The Noah of Innocence
by Sue Doenym
Summary: After narrowly escaping capture by the Noah, Allen struggles to come to terms with the evil inside of him. Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Diclaimer:** I do not own D. Gray-Man or any of its characters.

Isabelle Dark's head turned in her sleep as she unconsciously registered the sound of a child calling out for her. She groggily opened her eyes, vaguely wondered why it was so light in her room. Had she over slept? No, this was not sunlight, but what was it? Fire.

Isabelle bolted upright in her bed and stumbled towards the door, desperate to reach her child, only to recoil. Flames had engulfed the entire wall in front of her and the other walls as well. She was trapped with no way to get out and no way to reach her child.

"Elysia!" she called over the roar of the flames, chocking on the smoke.

"Mommy!" the tiny voice answered sounding terrified. Isabelle tried to contain her emotions and think logically to find some way out but it was too impossible. She collapsed to the floor, staring at the flames with tears rolling down her face. A section of wall in front of her collapsed and she shrieked, scrambling back and falling into a fit of coughing.

She saw five-year old Elysia beginning to tawdle toward the flames to reach her mother but Isabelle let out a cry of alarm. "No Elysia! Stay where you are!"

Elysia looked confused and scared but sat back down obediently. It took all of Isabelle's self-control not to run through the flames herself. Sitting here, waiting for death, watching her child about to die, every instinct screamed at her to go to her child but she knew she could not.

"Mommy? Where is daddy?"

This question caught her off guard and she was sent reeling into a whole new set of emotions as she realized that she would never see Suman again. She had not seen him for years and her heart ached for him. Would he be able to go on after losing his family when he barely survived being separated from them?

"I don't know sweetie," was all she could say.

"Daddy will save us," Elysia stated with such conviction that Isabelle almost believed it for a moment when a beam fell from the ceiling, pinning Elysia under it. Isabelle screamed and dove through the flames, pulling Elysia out from under the beam and holding her close and together they burned, the flames hungrily devouring their bodies. Their cries rang out through the silent, still night.

oOo

Leverrier sat in high anticipation and slight annoyance. Why was the coach driver going so slowly? Maybe he would get rid him after this. Excitement buzzed beneath his skin like an electric current as he saw the hotel come into view around the corner. He was only a few minutes away from gaining what could very well be his biggest asset ever.

oOo

"Are you sure you want to do that?" twelve-year-old Allen taunted an agitated looking Suman who was holding a bishop over the board uncertainly.

"Who taught you how to get inside people's minds?" Suman said, firmly placing his piece on the board.

"I learn from the best," Allen replied coyly, a smile playing on the corners of his lips. "Knight takes bishop." He sat back, arms smugly crossed over his chest as he looked triumphantly at Suman.

Outside the carriage turned the corner, making steady progress.

Rook takes night." Suman laughed at the look of bewilderment that crossed Allen's face as he realized he had been trapped.

A feral grin appeared on Leverrier's face as he pulled up to the hotel.

Queen takes Rook. The game of chess took on a more serious feel as each opponent worked harder to outwit the other.

Leverrier entered the hotel.

Bishop takes queen. Check.

The phone rang.

Allen let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. This phone call would buy him the time he needed to think over his next move.

"I'm watching you," Suman said giving Allen a mock glare as he walked towards the phone. "Hello?" Suman said into the receiver, still staring Allen down.

"Is this Suman Dark," a voice crackled through.

"Yes."

There was a slight hesitation before the other said anything. "This is Section Chief Reever. I am terribly sorry to inform you that your wife and child-"

"No," Suman said, running a hand through his hair and sinking down onto the edge of his bed in despair. "No, this can't be, it can't," he said in a futile attempt to deny what he already knew to be true.

Reever carried on, determined to finish delivering his message before he lost his wits and could not do it any more. "They perished in a fire."

"You were supposed to protect them!" Suman yelled on his feet now, grief replaced by rage. "How could you let this happen!?"

"It was too late when we found out. I'm so-"

Suman slammed the phone down, cutting off Reever's words. He did not need to hear empty apologies. He kicked the door frame and sat down on the bed, holding his now throbbing foot. He swore a few times until the anger subsided to be replaced by sobs he could not hold in.

Allen sat, watching the display in shock. Never before had he seen Suman so emotional about anything. He was at a loss for what to do, having never been in this type situation before. What on earth could cause Suman such heart wrenching sorrow? He got up and stood awkwardly, wanting to do something to console his distressed master but feeling intrusive for witnessing this deeply emotional moment.

Eventually Allen decided it would be best just to give Suman some privacy and sat down again, studying the chess board. Absentmindedly his hand reached out and moved his piece.

Pawn takes queen. Check mate.

The door opened silently and Leverrier stepped in letting it slam behind him. Allen jumped at the sudden sound and Suman got to his feet, trying to compose himself and wiping the tears off of his face.

"I am here to retrieve Allen Walker." Leverrier's voice was cool and even, his face expressionless as though he were oblivious to the emotional state of the man he was addressing.

"No." The word was said with so much certainty that any one else would have left it at that but Leverrier was not any one else.

"As your superior I order you to leave Allen Walker in my custody." There was a slight hint of annoyance in his voice now.

"I will not give him to you!" Suman pointed an accusing finger at Leverrier and continued to shout at him, his face reddening. "We had an agreement! Keep my family safe and I would do whatever you told me to! Well they aren't safe! They're dead! And you did nothing for them! I owe you no loyalty! I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE THE LAST THING I CARE ABOUT FROM ME!"

Allen was shocked. His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply as the words took him by surprised. So that was why he had been so distraught earlier. He knew he should feel horrible for what had happened to Suman's family but he couldn't find it in himself. Instead he felt a startled joy arising in his chest at hearing Suman say so clearly that he cared for him.

Suman's words, however, had the opposite affect on Leverrier. His face contorted into a twisted mask of beast like rage. He began to rush forward at Suman only to stop as an expression of surprise and pain replaced the previously inhumanly terrifying look on the man's face. A white-gloved hand slowly emerged from Leverrier's chest, clutching a frantically beating heart that shuddered before ceasing all movement forever more.

The hand's owner sidestepped Leverrier's corpse before it collapsed into a motionless heap on the floor. Allen blinked, thinking his eyes were fooling him for a moment but when the man's appearance remained unchanged he was utterly bewildered.

The man was dressed in a tailored black suit and top hat. His skin was an ashen gray while his eyes were amber. He set Leverrier's heart on the table and peeled of his bloodied gloves, depositing them in the bin. He let out an annoyed huff. "Another pair ruined, this is almost more trouble than it's worth. I wonder how many I've ruined lately." He put a hand to his chin and the other to his elbow as he looked up at the ceiling, a contemplative look on his face. Then he straightened, seemingly having remembered that Suman and Allen were there.

"How rude of me, barging in here without even introducing myself. I am Lord Tyki Mikk," he said as he took off his top hat in a sweeping motion as he bowed, plucking a button from Leverrier's coat and inserting it in the pocket of his suit jacket. Tyki straightened, smoothing back his wavy black hair, revealing a line of crosses across his gray forehead. He moved to place his top hat back on his head when a focused blast of air shot him towards the wall but the collision never occurred. To Allen's utter astonishment he simply vanished through the wall. The only evidence that he had ever been there were a corpse, bloodied gloves, and a heart on the table.

Suman stood, arm still extended and innocence activated forming a small but powerful air cannon on his metal gauntleted hand. Powerful tremors were running through his body. He was starting to lose control of himself after all the events of the night. His frightened eyes turned to Allen and his mouth opened as he was about to say something but suddenly he went rigid with terror as he fell to his hands and knees, revealing the ash skinned man standing behind him. Suman grabbed at his chest frantically as he found himself unable to draw a proper breath, his frame shuddering as he painfully coughed blood onto the floor.

"What did you do to him!?" Allen shouted at Lord Mikk who was looking at Suman's misery as one would look at a particularly fine piece of art.

"I punctured both of his lungs," he answered in a tone that one might use when remarking on the weather.

Suman was essentially drowning in his own blood. This realization filled Allen with terror and loathing for the one who had done this. He raised his red, withered left arm, activating his innocence. The glowing green cross on the back of his hand brightened and the light engulfed his entire arm, transforming it into a bone like claw.

He sprang at the unwelcomed intruder, catching him by surprise as he had been so absorbed in watching his victim struggle for life that he had taken no notice of what Allen had been doing. The claw tore through the coat and shirt, making deep gashes in the man's shoulder. He swore as he whirled around, catching Allen's innocence transformed arm and hitting him over the head. The last thing Allen was aware of as he slipped into the black oblivion was the sound of Suman's blood splattering on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own D. Gray-Man or any of it's characters.

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long to get this out but I broke my flash drive (genius, I know) but here is the next installment of Allen's unpleasant journey. Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoy this!

The dark was overwhelming and impenetrable. It drowned out all thoughts and feelings, leaving nothing but numb ignorance. A spot of light appeared in the center of Allen's subconscious awareness. It bled into the dark, chasing it away until none of it remained. Colors swirled in the light, blending and forming an image. Allen recognized Mana's form as he knelt by a grave he had dug for his stage dog. Young Allen, then Red, stood nearby, his auburn hair disheveled. The young boy approached Manna as the scenery changed, whisked away like smoke and replaced by the steps of a building.

Allen and Manna sat on the steps, drawing symbols in the dirt, their own secret code. The symbols solidified, becoming black ink on paper. A young man with black hair placed the paper on a piano. He sat down and began to play, the melody swirling through the air, tugging at something in the back of Allen's mind. It seemed so familiar though Allen was sure he had never heard it before. He probed his memory for some sign of recognition, finding nothing. Then a fleeting impression came to him before slipping away.

The sensation of something trying to break free, a memory attempting to resurface came and Allen welcomed it. Images leaked out slowly, fragmented, only a face or a few words. Mana teasing the young black haired boy in child hood. An old man resembling a panda admonishing the boy now in his teens. Then they came faster, a torrent of battle scenes drowned Allen and he could not make sense of anything. He was lost in these foreign memories.

oOo

Tyki walked through the cobble stone streets of the European town, the moon illuminating his path. The night chilled him but the boy slung over his shoulder was feverish, moving fitfully in his unconsciousness. He shifted him over to his other shoulder. The sooner he could put the boy down the better. Suddenly the boy stilled, going limp. Tyki breathed a sigh of relief; it would be a much easier journey if the boy stayed still.

"Hello Tyki, it's been a while." Tyki Mikk stiffened as a calm voice spoke quietly into his ear, dangerously soft. "Tell me, how is the Earl doing?" Fear quickly spread through Tyki's body, paralyzing him for a moment before he regained composure, but that moment was enough. The boy twisted himself to get a better hold on Tyki and flipped him, slamming hard into the ground. All the air was knocked out of his lungs and black spots swam in his vision as he saw the boy sprinting away.

Taking the most complicated path he could, the boy tried to stick to the shadows to hide so his white hair would not be so noticeable. Allen's body had surprising enough stamina but he supposed that could be accounted for by the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"Nea!" The angry shout came from a few blocks away. He had to get to cover. Nea ran to the nearest door and pulled it open, stepping inside and silently closing it behind him. He walked up to a stair well and collapsed on the middle platform. _Time to go into hiding again, I just hope the kid will have enough sense to stay out of sight for awhile_, Nea thought as he receded into the outermost reaches of Allen's mind.

oOo

Allen's eyes snapped open and he sat up straight, panting hard. He put his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands, closing his eyes again and slowing his breathing. The air felt so cold and yet he was burning on the inside. He felt as though he had just sprinted a mile though he could not recall having done so recently.

He lifted his head and looked around a bit. Confusion overcame any other sensation as he saw that he was in the stair well of a foreign building. He stood up but fell side ways immediately as his vision blurred and a blinding head ache manifested itself. Squeezing his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain he attempted to descend the stairs, gripping tightly onto the stair rail. After about two steps his shaking legs gave out and he found himself in a twisted heap at the base of the stairs. Pain shot through his body and he blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own D Gray Man or its characters.

**A/N:** The updates for this story are going to be random as I don't know when I will be able to work on it but I'll try not to make it any longer than a week between updates. Thanks for all the reviews!

Lenalee lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Sleep evaded her no matter what she did so she had given up trying. She and Kanda still hadn't found the source of all the Akuma that were appearing in this town. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious around here to explain the phenomena.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone groping along the stairs._ Probably a drunkard coming back from the bar,_ she thought. There was a series of loud thuds as whoever it was out there fell down the stairs none too gracefully. Sighing, Lenalee got out of bed and opened the door having decided to help out whoever was having trouble with the stairs. Had it not been in her nature to help any one in need she would have just lain in bed and thought nothing of it, which would have been the more logical thing to do in this situation.

She descended the stairs, her boots tapping on the wood, and stopped at the base of the steps as she registered what she saw. A white haired boy lay on the floor, his body twisted in ways it should not be able to bend. Lenalee was about to see if she could move him without hurting him when she noticed a marking above his left eye. It looked like a pentagram with a line coming from the bottom most point of the star and going down across his eye and cheek.

"Akuma," she breathed, her eyes wide as she backed away from him. She was about to activate her innocence and destroy it when she realized something wasn't right. There was a gash on the back of his head that was bleeding. Bending down for a closer look she saw that it was human blood. This boy needed help.

Her dark robe flapped around her as she spun on her heal and ran up the stairs to Kanda's room. "Kanda!" she shouted, banging her fist against the door. A sword sliced through the wood a few inches above her head. With a startled gasp she jumped back only to sigh. She really should have seen that one coming. This was one of the classic blunders, never wake an ill-tempered sleeping samurai.

The door opened and Kanda glowered at her through the opening. "There's a seriously injured person downstairs who needs help," she said. Still he just stood there. If looks could kill she would have been dead even before the door opened. "I'm going to take him to the hospital." With that she turned and headed down the stairs with an air of indifference knowing that pleading with him would make no difference in his decision.

Kanda's foot steps sounded quietly behind her and she breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way she would have been able to move the wounded boy on her own. Kanda's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the form at the base of the steps. When his eyes found the mark above the boy's eye he unsheathed his sword, about to strike but Lenalee leapt in front of him.

"No! He's human! Look at the blood on his head."

The samurai reluctantly lowered his sword and Lenalee stepped aside, eying the sword at her companion's side as he bent over the white haired head. "How exactly did you plan on moving him?"

"I don't know." Lenalee said shifting uncomfortably. "There's a hospital around the corner though. Do you think you could carry him?" she said with a hopeful look on her face.

"Tch, you're such a pain," Kanda said as he bent down to pick up the boy.

Lenalee paid the insult no heed and brightened instantly. "Thank you Kanda!" she said happily as she bounced over to the door and held it open for him receiving another annoyed "tch".

As they walked down the road Lenalee kept shooting troubled looks at the unconscious boy. They reached the hospital and stepped into the waiting room. There were voices coming from a room around the corner so Lenalee began to walk towards them but Kanda stopped her. He had set the boy on a nearby chair and motioned for Lenalee to listen more closely.

"Good evening," an eerily familiar, gleeful voice said.

"You can really make him come back like the director says?" A women's grief laden voice answered.

"Yes Liza, all you have to do is call out his name."

_Crap,_ Lenalee thought. There was no way that she could take out the earl and she knew that, though he was a skilled fighter, Kanda would not be able to either. But they really didn't have a choice right now; they couldn't let an Akuma be created if they could stop it especially since it would kill the one who had created them.

""Innocence, activate!" Lenalee ran towards the room from which the voices were coming. Her boots transformed, tightly encasing her calves, lending her extra strength. Kanda was hot on her heals, his sword out, moon light reflecting dangerously off of it.

Liza was drawing a breath to call out to her lost love when a dark streak shot past her, startling and knocking her backwards. Lenalee had jumped into the room and landed with her feet firmly planted in the Earl's face. She jumped off, completing a graceful back flip and landing on her feet. The Millennium Earl was sent reeling backwards as Kanda rushed forward, sword drawn to deliver a devastating blow. The Sword came zinging through the air missing its target by inches as the Earl twirled aside, regaining his balance.

"Good evening exorcists," he said in an amiable tone, a large smile plastered on his face. Lenalee and Kanda charged him together in response. The Earl dodged their attacks, twirling around the room as though this were some sort of game, angering his attackers even more. Lenalee descended from above and the Earl pulled out a large black sword with a white cross in the center and white edges, catching her off guard. He swung upwards and Kanada attempted to block the blow but the Earl was too fast. Lenalee was sent full force into a wall and fell, slumped on the floor, the gashes on her legs soaking the white tile in a pool of red.

Kanda shifted his stance and gripped his sword more tightly, his face grim as he prepared for the oncoming fight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-man or any of its characters**

**A/N: I'm back! Yes, I know I lied about the whole one week thing, sorry for that. I hope the next few chapters will make up for that! Enjoy!**

The chair was hard, cold and unforgiving as the arm rests dug into Allen's back. His body began gasping for breath, trying to satisfy his oxygen starved brain. The consciousness in his brain recognized a piercing pain in his right arm and fifth rib.

Taking a steadying breath Nea calmed Allen's racing heart and braced himself for the draining work he was about to do. Feeling his old ability coming back to him Nea experimentally sent a few electrical pulses down Allen's nerves to the injured areas. At the points where the bone was broken the sparks fizzled out of existence. He then very carefully separated small amounts of innocence in Allen's right arm from the cells and led them to the broken areas. He clenched his teeth and held the bones in place with his uninjured hand. The innocence bonded to the bone and held it in place, creating a sort of cast and allowing the healing to begin properly.

Slowly letting out a long breath, Nea felt all of the energy drain out of him as he lapsed back into unconsciousness.

Allen sat up in a panicked daze. Where on Earth was he? He stood on shaky and weak legs, holding his arms out for stability. He slowly lifted a foot to take a step but his knee buckled under his weight and he crumbled to the floor. The cool tile felt good on his burning forehead. Putting a hand on the floor he pushed himself into a sitting position. It the pulsing pain in his head made it hard to concentrate.

BOOM!

"Ack! Ow ow ow . . . "

Allen sat up rubbing his head. Something had hit the wall next to him, violently shaking it, startling Allen so that he jumped and fell over, hitting his head on the floor.

Bracing himself against the wall Allen stood and shuffled over to the door to see what had hit the wall with such force. Looking in the doorway he saw a girl slumped against the wall, her long black hair draped over her, blood soaking her uniform and running across the slightly slanted floor.

Allen was about to rush towards her when he saw some one else out of the corner of his eye. His eyes widened with shock then narrowed with hatred. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he charged toward his victim.

Kanda and the Earl turned in surprise as the heard some one shouting "Innocence activate!" and saw a white haired boy sprinting towards the Earl. The boy's arm was engulfed in a bright light and though the Earl jumped aside his face was still grazed by the claw at the end of the boy's now elongated arm.

The samurai jumped, using the distraction to his advantage flipping over the boy and toward his target. The Earl noticed the aerial attack a second to late managing to jerk to the side. The blade sliced through his sleeve, running down his arm in a trail of white hot fury. The boy attacked again, recklessly rushing forward, judgment clouded by hate. The Earl threw up his sword and the two weapons clashed. Millennium Earl leapt back, favouring his injured arm but the boy, noticing the weakness sprang after him with unparalleled ferocity.

Seeing that the Earl was effectively preoccupied, Kanda ran across the room towards his fallen comrade. Lenalee was pale and cold but there was still a faint heart beat. If there was too be any hope of saving her Kanda would have to act fast.

The samurai took his sword and made a cut across his palm and placed his hand over Lenalee's mouth, silently begging her to make it through this.

He waited for something to happen, he didn't know what, just any sign that it was working. Maybe it wasn't flowing down her throat and being ingested. With shaking hands he plugged her nose and tilted her head back, keeping her mouth closed. Lenalee swallowed and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Kanda gently laid her back on the ground and examined her wounds. The bleeding had stopped and the gashes were beginning to heal.

The samurai stood up, turning his attention back to the Earl and the boy. A few minutes ago the boy had been slumped on the ground, seemingly dying but now he fought with incredible skill and energy. Who on earth was this kid? There would be more time to worry about that later but now there was a battle to join. The boy was struggling now, no longer on the offensive but forced to be defensive in his fighting. His movements were slowing as his muscles grew tired. Kanda sprang at the Millennium Earl from the side but the Earl dodged the attack, retreating towards the doorway, his advantage lost with the addition of another opponent.

Allen looked to the side to see who had joined him. Millennium took advantage of the boy's inattention and struck. Allen barely had time throw up his arm to block the downward sweep of the Earl's sword. The force of the blow knocked him down onto one knee. Kanda was about to attack when something baffling happened.

The boy's claw like fingers elongated becoming thinner, sharper, more lethal. A black splotch appeared on his palm, bleeding out like ink, turning his arm black as it spread upward. His right arm paled, becoming a shade of white to rival that of his hair. Bright light shone around his shoulders, flowing down his back. The light seemed to solidify, transforming into a white cape and a mask that hung about his neck.

The corner of Allen's mouth quirked up and he attacked with renewed vigour. He forced his arm upward, shunting the Earl's sword, and lunged. The Earl lurched to the side, falling to the ground in his haste to evade his attacker.

A door materialized behind the Earl. Allen drove his hand down toward the Earl as the door opened and some one inside pulled the Earl in. Allen's hand struck the ground. He looked up, frustrated that his quarry had gotten away and saw a girl with gray skin and a frilly skirt, the same markings Tyki Mikk had across his forehead on hers. Before Allen could react the door closed and vanished.

The energy left Allen's body as his animal drive to kill the Earl faded with the disappearance of his target. Aimlessly, he took a step forward, all sense of purpose and direction gone. Allen saw the ground come into view and his brow furrowed in confusion. _Is that normal?_

_No, it isn't._

_ Oh . . ._

Allen's body shut down, fatigued from his battle. He didn't even have time to recognize that the second voice inside his head was not supposed to be there before his mind shut down and all thought vanished.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-man or any of its characters.**

The moonlight streamed through the window, creating an unearthly glow around the boy's fallen body. Kanda stood, his sword pointed down towards the unconscious figure on the floor. To make sure that the boy was out he slid his foot under the boy's shoulder and flipped him onto his back. The boy let out an enormous snore and the samurai jumped back, startled. He swore under his breath as he realized that there was no danger and he was just making a fool of himself. He grabbed his golem and turned it on.

"Reever, are you there?"

"Kanda?" a voice thick with sleep grumbled back. "Why aren't you talking to Kumoi?''

Kanda bit his lip. "Lenalee is badly injured and you know how he freaks out over things like this I've managed to -"

"WHAAATTTT! KANDA WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!? WHAT HAPPENED? MY POOR LENALEE! SHE SHOULDN"T BE GOING ON SUCH DANGEROU-"

"KUMOI!" Kanda yelled, cutting of the voice on the golem. "I was saying that I have managed to stop the bleeding and close up some of her wounds but she still needs medical attention. What are you doing in the science department anyway?"

"I have my reasons," said the voice defensively.

"Like eaves dropping," came Reever's voice, sounding annoyed.

"I'm allowed to know what's going on in this building. At least I wasn't sleeping on my job."

"I've been working all night, I can hardly be blamed if I doze off occasional-"

"Hey!" Kanda interrupted their argument. "Just send some one to come get us and take care of Lenalee. There's another person with us that I don't trust but it seems he's an innocence wielder."

"They'll be there as soon as possible!" Kumoi's voice came hurriedly. Reever began shouting orders to people and Kumoi renewed his lamentations in earnest. "AAAAAHHHHH HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO MY LITTLE LENA-"

Kanda switched of the golem hurriedly. Kumoi's wails echoed eerily around the room.

Kanda looked around, assessing the situation. He needed to do something with Lenalee while they waited for help to reach them. There was something dark in the corner that he couldn't quite make out. Sword still in hand he moved silently towards the corner. His eyes adjusted to the lack of light and he realized that he was looking at a person. She hugged her knees to her chest and pressed herself against the wall, trying to get as far back as possible. Her face was shaded by the light brown hair that fell over it like a curtain. As Kanda drew near she shrank back further though Kanda would not have thought it possible, staring fearfully at the blade of his sword gleaming lethally in the moon light.

With an annoyed huff Kanda slid his sword back into its sheath. Taking a small step back to give the woman some room he held out his hand in what he thought was a gentle manner to help her up but she only stared at it suspiciously. Kanda attempted a disarming smile but this had quite the opposite effect he was hoping for. It was becoming more and more apparent that soothing was not his strong point. This he knew but he hadn't thought he was this bad at it. If Lenalee was still conscious she would know what to do, Kanda thought wistfully. As it were he was left to his own devices.

Taking a few steps back he leaned back against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor, at eye level with the woman. He took a breath. _Why am I stuck with this_, he thought angrily. ''Do you work here?'' his voice was gruffer than he had intended but she did not seem too shaken by it. Considering what she had just seen there wasn't much that could shake her more than she already had been.

Hesitantly she nodded her head. Kanda gestured toward Lenalee. ''Do you think you could help her?'' he cursed inwardly. That was probably the worst approach he could have possibly taken. The woman looked over at Lenalee and seemed to pull herself together.

Slowly she stood on shaky legs, bracing herself against the wall. Carefully, she made her way towards Lenalee. Upon reaching her she knelt and examined the wounds. ''Can you carry her?'' Liza asked looking over her shoulder at Kanda.

Kanda stood and walked over to her, stooping down to pick up Lenalee. He lifted the girl in his arms and waited for Liza to lead the way. She stood and began to walk to the door, her strength returning to her as she was able to divert her mind from the events that had just transpired to what she had to do to help Lenalee. She moved across the room with Kanda close behind. Suddenly her foot caught on something and with a small shriek she fell forward, arms flailing.

She was expecting to feel the hard tile floor but instead she landed on something some what soft. Liza lay still for a moment, eyes closed as she tried to identify what it was she was laying on. A soft moan sounded from below her. Upon opening her eyes she was utterly confused by what she saw. It seemed to be the face of a young boy though she could not be sure of his age for his hair was white like an old man's might be. His lips parted slightly and he let out another moan, his head rolling to the side.

Liza screamed and jumped off, scrambling backwards to put as much distance between herself and the boy as possible. Her cheeks flamed furiously. She sat and waited to see if he was going to get up but he just continued to lie on the hard ground. Tentatively Liza stood and walked over to him to see if he was alright. There were a few cuts on his arm, one gash almost reached to his bone and there was a wound on his head.

"I need to treat him first," Liza turned to face Kanda.

"I asked you to help her not him. Take care of her first and then help him if you must."

Liza set her jaw. "This boy needs treatment more urgently than she does. Her wounds are already partially healed and the bleeding has stopped, though how that happened is beyond me, but this boy is still bleeding and his wounds are wide open. If you won't help me with him then I guess you'll just have to wait that much longer."

"Tch" _Women are so bothersome._ Kanda set Lenalee down gently and picked up the boy roughly slinging him over his shoulder. The boy moaned and Liza walked hurriedly out of the room, heading down the hall hurriedly, her steps echoing against the bare walls with Kanda's. After passing a few rooms she turned into one of the doors. The room was small and plain with white washed walls and a white tile floor. A bed stood against the wall under a window. Kanda shivered, he couldn't stand hospitals. He crossed the room and laid the boy down the bed.

Liza was already digging through cupboards, looking for antiseptic and bandages. She grasped a bottle of liquid, cotton pads, and bandages and sat down on the edge of the boy's bed. Wetting some of the cotton pads with the antiseptic and began to clean his wounds. He inhaled sharply though he did not wake. She worked diligently as Kanda stood by and watched.

"You recently lost some one?"

"My husband. I was about to get him back when you came in and ruined the only chance I had of seeing him again." Her grip on the bandages tightened and her knuckles whitened.

"That man couldn't have brought him back."

"How do you know!? The director told me he could and I believe him! Why would you stop me from bringing back my husband!?" Liza was on her feet now staring at Kanda, her eyes shining from anger and grief.

"You say he could have brought him back?"

"Yes."

"Why? Why would he bring a person back to life for some one he doesn't even know?"

Liza drew a breath to reply but couldn't think of anything. Why hadn't she thought of that before? It had all seemed too good to be true and she hadn't even thought to think why. The realization of her carelessness only made her more frustrated and she glared harder at Kanda.

"I'll tell you why," Kanda said meeting her gaze coolly. "Because if you had called out your husband's name he would have come back, not as a person, but as a slave. He would have been forced to obey everything the Earl told him to do, starting with killing you and taking your body."

"No. It's no true. He would never!"

"He wouldn't have a choice. I've seen it happen too many times. Who introduced you to the Earl?"

"The hospital's director but he was just trying to help, there's no way he would do this intentionally!"

"You'd be surprised what people will do for money."

Footsteps sounded in the hallway. "Kanda!"

"In here!"

A man in a beige hooded over coat entered the room. "Where is Lenalee?'

"Follow me." Kanda strode out of the room with the keeper close behind.

Liza returned to her work. Her shoulders sagged and a choked sob sounded from her throat. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on the boy's nose. His eyes cracked open but she did not notice. A sad smile appeared on his lips. "Don't be upset." Liza jumped, startled by the unexpected noise. He gave her a sincere smile and before she could say anything he was gone again.

oOo

Kumoi paced the hallways of the order clutching his prized rabbit coffee mug tightly in both hands. "They should be here by now," he muttered under his breath. "They should be here already."

Rain pounded heavily on the roof. "Give them some time. They only left a few minutes ago." Reever was following Kumoi to make sure he didn't do anything rash.

"I'm going to get them myself!" Kumoi declared striding purposely towards the front doors. Reever ran and tackled his boss. "Let me go! I need to rescue my Lenalee!" Kumoi twisted under Reever and almost got away but Reever got his arm and twisted it up behind his back.

"This is ridiculous Kumoi! We already sent our best people out to get them!"

The heavy front doors swung open and a gust of wind blew the rain in thoroughly dousing Reever and Kumoi. Five figures came into the Hall and closed the doors, Kanda and four finders in beige over coats. Two of the finders were carrying limp bodies in their arms. Kumoi forcefully shoved Reever off of him and ran to the man carrying Lenalee but Kanda held him buck. "She needs to get medical attention."

"But she needs me too!" Kumoi wailed.

"Take them to the infirmary," Reever instructed the men and they obeyed immediately hurrying down the hall, Kanda, Kumoi, and Reever close behind.

"What happened?" Reever asked Kanda as they walked both holding Kumoi back who was still trying to run after Lenalee.

"We had a run in with the Earl."

"Really? What was the Earl doing there himself?"

"The hospital director was providing him with the resources for Akuma."

"A hospital director? I will never understand people. How could some one do something like that? Who's the boy?"

"I have no idea," Kanda said staring at the boy in the arms of one of the finders.

Suddenly Kumoi stopped struggling. "That is Suman Dark's apprentice," He said in a serious tone, adjusting his glasses.

"If that's his apprentice then where is Suman?" Reever asked.

"That is an excellent question." Kumoi replied.

oOo

Allen's eyes opened to an unfamiliar room. Lights shone down on him brightly. He sat up carefully and looked around him. He was in a hospital room that had beds lined against the walls. There was only one other person in the room. It was the wounded girl he had seen earlier. She was bandaged now and an IV dripped into her arm.

He looked down at his own arms and realized that he was bandaged too. What had happened? He remembered fighting the Earl with someone but how had he gotten here? He must have blacked out. A question more pressing than any other came to him. Where was Suman? Allen racked his mind. They had been playing chess and then Leverrier came and …

Allen sank back into his pillow as the memories of what had happened came to him. He bit his lower lip until he tasted blood to keep from crying out. Uncontrollable tears rolled down his face. He rolled onto his side hugging his knees to his chest and pulled the blanket up over his head, effectively shutting out the world and mourned in silence.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own dgm or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Sorry it takes me so long to get these chapters up but I hope it's worth it!**

Lenalee opened her eyes to see a face in the fore front of her vision.

''Lenalee! I'm so glad you're back!'' Her brother exclaimed. He leaned over his sister and hugged her tightly, squeezing the air from her lungs.

''Kumoi! You're ... choking ... me'' she gasped.

''Sorry,'' he said, releasing her. She doubled over and breathed heavily. Looking around the room she saw that there was some one in the bed next to hers. It was the boy that she had seen in the hotel. ''Do you know who he is?'' she asked gesturing to him.

''That is Suman Dark's apprentice.''

''Suman? You mean the grumpy guy who hates everything to do with the order?''

''That's the one,'' Kumoi said smiling.

''Why did he even become a general?''

''He didn't have a choice. He only joined the order under the condition that they would save his daughter and continue to treat her illness as long as he was obedient so he has to do everything they tell him to, otherwise she will die. He achieved the level of skill of a general from the difficult missions they always send him on and they found out even though he tried to hide it. Once they knew he had no choice but to become one. Then they gave him an apprentice,'' he gestured to Allen.

Lenalee looked down, remembering how she had felt the same way when she had first been brought to the order, hating everything to do with it. The only reason she had stayed at first was that her brother was there. Since then she had come to terms with it and began to care for the people there. Now she couldn't imagine leaving.

A movement caught the corner of her eye and she looked to see that Allen was sitting up now, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

''Where am I?''

''The head quarters of the European branch of the order,'' Lenalee said softly. She got out of bed and walked over to Allen, sitting next to him. Kumoi looked on protectively, ready to pounce if Allen tried anything.

''Do you know where Suman is,'' Kumoi asked.

Allen looked down at the sheets and bit his lip, reopening the wound he had made the night before.

''It's alright, we just need to let him know you're here,'' Lenalee said misinterpreting Allen's troubled expression.

Allen drew a breath, about to speak. His mouth opened but nothing would come out. All of the words stuck in a lump in his throat. He could feel that if he tried to speak he would only start crying and he couldn't do that.

Allen looked down. His hands clutched the sheets, his teeth digging deeper into the wound. Tears stung at the back of his eyes. He raised his head, struggling hard to keep his composure. Slowly he shook his head no.

Kumoi looked disappointed. "I'll have to do some digging to find him then. You don't have to stay in the infirmary. If you want I can get some one to show you to a proper room."

"I can do it," Lenalee said brightly.

"You shouldn't over exert yourself!"

"Stop fussing! I'll be fine Kumoi. Come on," Lenalee said, holding out her hand to Allen and beaming at him.

Allen hesitated. He did not want to move anywhere. All he wanted was to be left alone. Slowly he reached out and took the offered hand, forcing himself to give a weak smile in return. At least he might be able to get some privacy in his own room. Lenalee helped him up and they walked down the halls together.

''How long have you been in the order?'' Lenalee looked at Allen expectantly but he was staring at the ground, a far away look in his eyes. ''Allen?''

The boy looked up, startled. ''Sorry, what was that?'' He asked sheepishly.

Lenalee repeated herself and waited patiently for an answer. ''Two years today,'' Allen said looking down at the ground again. Today he and Suman were going to celebrate with a special dinner and a dessert. Allen was vaguely aware of the fact that Lenalee had responded and he nearly ran into her two seconds later when she stopped in front of a door.

Allen looked up to see why they had stopped. ''This is your room,'' Lenalee said indicating the door in front of them.

''Thank you,'' Allen said and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He could hear Lenalee walking away down the hall. When he was sure she was gone he slumped against the door, sliding down until he hit the floor. He buried his head in his hands and rested them on his knees. There he stayed until the morning light streamed through the window curtains and alighted on his figure.

o.O

Lenalee walked down the hallway toward her own room, her mind distracted. What on earth had happened to that boy and why did he seem so unfocused? She wasn't sure if he had been telling the truth about Suman but she liked to be able to trust people so she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had been so badly injured when she found him and she didn't remember what had happened in the hospital. She racked her mind thinking back, going through the events in order. Suddenly it came to her, the battle with the Earl. But what had happened?

"Oof!"

"Bakka!" Lenalee had been so deep that she had run into Kanda who was now in battle stance, his sword drawn. Lenalee shrieked and jumped back, her hands held up in a gesture of peace.

"I'm so sorry Kanda! I didn't see you!"

Kanda relaxed and sheathed his sword giving an annoyed "tch."

"What happened with the Earl after I blacked out?" She asked knowing that she was safe now.

"That kid came in and started attacking the Earl. He and I had gained a little headway when the Earl retreated through some sort of portal controlled by one of the members of the Noah Clan."

"What?"

"Are you sure you should be out of the infirmary yet?" Kanda asked.

Lenalee blinked, confused. "Sure, why?"

"You seem to be having hearing problems." He smirked and before she could reply he was already walking away.

Why was he always so mean? She continued down the hall until she reached her own room, pulling open the door and crossing to her bed. Nothing made sense. How could that boy have fought in the condition he was in that night? He hadn't even been conscious and she could have sworn he'd had some broken bones but he didn't have any now so she must have been wrong. But still.

She took the newly repaired uniform off of her bed and changed out of her gown from the infirmary and into her pajamas. Johnny must have put her uniform here while she was in the infirmary. Crawling under the covers she curled up, hugging her pillow and fell asleep.

O.o

There was a knock on the door and Allen jumped. He had fallen asleep and was lying on his side by the door. His limbs were sore and stiff as he stretched and stood. He opened the door and stared groggily into the hallway. There was a short man with brown hair shifting nervously from foot to foot. He adjusted his glasses and stood looking at Allen. After a moment of silence Allen said, "umm...Hello?"

The man gave a start as if he had forgotten Allen was there. "Welcome back to the headquarters," he said in a small voice wringing his hands. "I don't know how often you've been here but would you like me to show you where the cafeteria is?"

Allen suddenly realized how hungry he was. As he had never stayed for more than a night at a time, leaving early in the morning he had no idea where the cafeteria was. But before he could say he would like that very much thank you he looked down at himself and realized that he was not properly dressed to go anywhere outside of his room. Johnny saw what Allen was looking at and hastily reached down and picked up the folded clothing he had deposited on the floor the night before. "Your new uniform," he said. Allen took the uniform, confused. He was an apprentice, why would he need a uniform? "Kanda saw your fighting and said that if you were going to be staying with us you may as well be a proper exorcist."

Allen let out a breath. So they still didn't know about Suman. "Thanks. Just give me a minute," he said closing the door. He changed quickly and took a deep breath. He wasn't ready to have a "normal" day yet but he had to start sometime or other. Allen opened the door and stepped into the corridor.

"I'm Johnny Gill by the way." As they walked down the corridor Allen was struck by how uniform everything was.

After a few turns Allen could smell food. It permeated the air, making his stomach growl. Allen put a hand over his stomach, blushing as Johnny laughed. The hall ended and Allen's mouth fell open. The room was cavernous with tables and chairs everywhere. There were people eating the most delicious smelling food. "You can order over there."

Before Johnny had even finished speaking Allen was at the window. Johnny ran across the room to join Allen. "Hey Jerry!" Jonny was slightly out of breath from his sprint.

"Johnny, good to see you! Let me finish taking this young man's order and I'll be right with you," an Indian man behind the counter said. He turned to Allen. "What would you like?"

"What do you have?" Allen asked.

"Anything you want, I can make."

"Lasagna and potatoes and dry curry and ma-po tofu and beef stew and a meat pie and calpaccho and a nashigoren and chicken and potato salad and corn and a kuppa, tomyank and rice, for dessert I'll have mango and sticky rice with an order of mitarashi dango, make that twenty."

Jerry raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you can eat all that?" Allen gave a vigorous nod.

"You're really that hungry?" Johnny asked.

"Definitely."

O.o

"He really ate that much?"

"I couldn't believe it myself and I saw it happen." Johnny adjusted his glasses, looking down at the stack of reports he was sorting through. Reever was sitting in the chair to his right, taking a break. He whistled appreciatively, a look of incredulity on his face.

"Well Kumoi did say he had a parasitic type of innocence."

Their conversation was cut short as the screen in front of Reever flickered to life in front of him. On it appeared the Easter Island head statue that guarded the front gate. "There is some one here that wants to get in. He says his name is Howard Link but I've never seen him before. He says it's urgent that he sees Kumoi."

"Then why aren't you telling Kumoi?" Reever sounded annoyed.

"I can't reach him," the head replied.

Reever ran his hand through his hair, letting out an annoyed sigh. Kumoi never took care of his responsibilities. "I'll go get him." Reever said standing up to find his boss and the screen went blank. Johnny watched him go and then resumed his work. It was none of his business who came and went but he still couldn't help being slightly curious.

Reever's lab coat flapped behind him as he made his way quickly down the hall towards Kumoi's office. He opened the door and, as he expected, saw the Chinese man sleeping at his desk, his head resting on a mess of papers. Reever walked up to the desk, picking up the beret that had fallen off of Kumoi's head and slapped him with it.

"Wah!" The man jumped, sitting up too quickly his arms pin wheeling as he careened backwards, hitting the floor with a thick thud. Reever couldn't help laughing a little as he helped his superior up earning himself a glare. "What was that for any way? I need my beauty sleep," Kumoi whined.

"There's some one at the gate, Howard Link?"

"Hmm ... I guess we should get down there," he said, squishing his beret back into place. The two men made their way to the door, treading on scattered papers as they went.

As they past the door to the lab Reever saw Johnny peering out at them. As soon as he realized he'd been caught Johnny quickly looked down and busied himself with his reports. Reever smiled at how bad Johnny was at being discreet.

They reached the front door and stepped out into the cold wind. Kumoi ordered the gate keeper to open the gates and a man with long blond hair that was drawn back behind his head stepped forward, looking irritable at being kept out in the cold for so long. Reever was surprised to see that he was wearing Leverrier's old uniform. It didn't seem to make sense.

"I have urgent news I must tell you, but not out here. Shall we go in?" Link pushed passed Reever and Kumoi, leaving them to follow in confusion. Once inside Reever shut the door and Kumoi faced the new comer.

"What is it?" Kumoi asked but Link only glanced pointedly at Reever. "Shall we go to my office then? Excuse us Reever."

Reever watched the two men go down the hall before going back into the lab. As soon as Johnny saw him he started asking questions. "What was that about?"

"Wouldn't say."

"Why was he wearing Leverrier's uniform?"

"I don't know. But did you get a load of that forehead?" Johnny drew two dots on his forehead and made a face. Reever laughed but then caught himself. "I think I'll go check on our new comer, see how he's doing." He turned ad headed for the door before looking back "and get those dots off your forehead before someone sees."

O.o

Link looked around the office with a disapproving gaze. The room was in disarray with paper scattered everywhere and piled on the desk. He tried stepping on clear floor but it was impossible. Scooping a pile of papers off of a chair he set them on the desk and sat down, Kumoi taking the chair opposite him. "Are you aware of the location of Allen Walker?"

"Why?" Kumoi looked at the man, his eyes distrustful.

"Just answer the question."

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

Kumoi said nothing, unwilling to divulge any information unless he was told why this man wanted to know.

Link read the look and Kumoi's face and sighed. "His master is dead."

"Suman?" Kumoi was caught by surprise. "When?"

"Two days ago one of our men found both him and Leverrier dead in a hotel room. Now I'll ask you again, where is Allen Walker?"

"If Leverrier is gone then who is the new head of the order?"

"I am, now answer the question."

Well that explained the clothes. "He's here."

"Good, that will save me the trouble of searching for him. Would you send for him?"

"Why?"

"I will be taking him with me."

"As his master is dead he falls to me as his new guardian." Kumoi could see the man clench his jaw in irritation. He didn't know why but it satisfied him to annoy this man even if he really was who he said he was.

"You have no authority to deny my orders. Bring the boy to me and we will be done here, you won't be bothered again."

Kumoi regarded the man coolly. So he wanted to take the boy away for who knows what reason and do who knew what with him. Kumoi thought quickly. There was no way he was going to deliver a young boy to some one he didn't without knowing why, he just didn't have a good feeling about this. He rubbed his chin and sat back. "Give him a month."

"Why?"

"He just lost the closest person he had. He's in mourning; give him some time to come to terms with what has happened."

Maybe that was a good idea. Surely the boy would be more cooperative if he was fully rational and under control. "He has one week and if you don't give him to me willingly then I will have to force you." Link stood and strode out of the room. Kumoi jumped up after him and followed him to the front door, pulling it open for him. As soon as Link was out of the building he closed the door. Johnny was there instantly, curiosity written all over his face.

Before he could say anything Kumoi told him all that had transpired. "Wow. Leverrier's replacement. And he wants Allen. I wonder why."

"I don't know why but I'm going to delay the day that he gets him for as long as I can."

O.o

As Reever walked down the halls to Allen's room he suddenly realized that he had no idea where he was going. Of course he was somewhere in the dorm area but which room? He slowed his pace bordering on whether he should go back or try his luck on a random door when he heard something. He stopped. The noise was coming from the door to his right. He listened closely. Someone was crying, the sounds were muffled by something, possibly a pillow, but still recognizable. Reever hesitated, his hand poised to knock. He wasn't sure if he should try to help or just leave them alone.

Closing his eyes and hoping for the best he knocked before his resolve shattered. The sound stopped and there was a pause. Bare feet made their way across the room and Reever opened his eyes as the door swung inward. In the doorway stood a small boy with white hair. There was a wet spot on his sleeve from where he had wiped the tears off of his face and his eyes were swollen and red from crying. Reever felt sorry for him, he must feel lost in this unfamiliar place without his master to help him.

"Hey Allen, how are you doing?" Reever smiled down at the boy.

Allen stared down at his feet. "Good."

"Can I come in?" Allen stepped aside, still looking down as Reever walked passed him. The room was tidy, the bed undisturbed save one pillow and a chess board was set on the table. Reever sat down at the table. "So, you like chess?" A nod. "Shall we play?" Another nod.

Allen took the chair opposite Reever who was studying the boy's reactions. He couldn't tell anything from the lack of verbal response he was getting. Allen looked up. "Your move."

Reever looked at the board and realized that he had taken the side of the white pieces and moved his horse. Allen studied the board and made his move. A few more moves went by in silence before he attempted conversation. He was met by one word answers and the shake or nod of Allen's head. "Check mate." Reever looked down to see that his king had been trapped by the black pieces. He hadn't been paying close attention to the game but this kid had finished him off quickly with no significant losses. Absent mindedly he put his hand in his pocket, wondering how he had been beaten so easily when he felt something hard. He pulled it out and saw that it was a black king. He set the piece on the board.

"Johnny found this in the pocket of your old clothes." Allen took the piece in his hands and turned it slowly. He must have slipped it in his pocket the night he had beaten Suman. A new sense of loss swept over him, threatening to pull him into its depths.

Reever stood up. "See you around kid." He was in the doorway when he heard an almost inaudible "Thank you." He turned and smiled, "You're welcome." The door shut behind him and Allen was left alone, gazing down at the king.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own DGM or any of its characters.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing!**

Maniacal laughter echoed through the halls, growing louder as Reever neared the lab. Inside the sound was overwhelmingly magnified as it echoed off the large walls. He entered and waved to a group of fellow scientists. Spotting Johnny in the corner he headed towards him. "What's going on?"

Johnny didn't even look up. Reever reached over and pulled an earplug from Johnny's ear. Johnny looked up, confused. "Oh hey Reever, I didn't see you," he said.

"I noticed. What's going on?"

"Komui is up there," Johnny replied pointing to the room above them. "He's been there ever since two-dots left."

"I wonder what that was about."

Johnny recanted all that Komui had told him to Reever, chocking up over Suman's death. Johnny had been the only person in the order who was close to Suman, other than Allen.

"The nerve of that pimple-faced weasel. Why would he want to take a young boy who just lost his master? Does Allen know about Suman?"

"I don't know," Johnny said still fighting back tears.

"He does seem extremely upset about something, I wonder if that's it. At any rate some one needs to tell him. I just don't know who should do it."

"Maybe we should wait a bit so he can get to know us better before we have to tell him something like that."

"But if we wait to long he'll start to think he's been abandoned."

"Reever!" The voice cut clearly across the room as the laughter had stopped and Reever turned to see Komui in the doorway. "Tell Allen and Kanda to meet me in my office immediately." With that he walked into his office, closing the door behind him. Johnny looked at Reever who shrugged and walked to find Allen and Kanda.

O.o

Link got out of his carriage at the foot of a large, foreboding building. He entered without knocking and walked swiftly toward his office, ignoring all who attempted to get his attention to tell him something "urgent that can't wait". But it could wait and it would wait. He shut himself into his office and sat down tiredly in his chair mulling things over. He would have the Walker boy in a week but what to do until then was beyond him.

"Where is the boy?"

Link jumped. He hadn't realised he wasn't alone. He looked up at a man with light frizzy hair and glasses. The cardinal looked back expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"We will have him next week."

"Why don't you have him now?"

Link's knuckles whitened as his grip on the arm rest tightened. He didn't like having to listen to some one else and follow their requests when he was the one who was supposed to call the shots. The only problem was that he was afraid to disappoint this particular person and he hated himself for it. He had always looked up to Leverrier as a person of strength, intimidated by no one. He had not even had this position for three days and he was, in his own eyes, failing already.

"I did not feel it necessary." He cursed himself inwardly. Did not feel it necessary? That sounded weak even to his ears. The man noticed his uncertainty.

"It is necessary whether you feel it is or not. That boy must be contained as soon as possible."

"As I said, we will have him in one week."

A flash of anger contorted the man's face for a moment before it went blank. He stood up and exited without so much as word of parting. Link breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the man was gone but he had a feeling that this was not over.

O.o

"A mission?" Allen stared at Komui, barely visible behind the mountain of papers.

"As an exorcist you are expected to go on missions."

"I know, it's just that this will be my first one."

"I realise this which is why I am sending you with our master swordsman, Kanda."

The samurai beside Allen stiffened in annoyance but said nothing.

"There have been reports of a mystical being in the forest that vanishes in a flash of light when ever some one gets too close," Komui continued. He handed Allen and Kanda each a capsule filled with foggy silver liquid. "You each need to take your pill before embarking on your mission."

Kanda looked at Komui suspiciously but Allen who did not know to be wary of anything he was given by Komui promptly popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed. Everyone gaped at him and waited to see if there were any ill affects from the pill. After a minute or two of Allen looking down at the floor embarrassed, though he did not know why he should be embarrassed for following orders, nothing happened so Kanda followed suit. After he had done so Komui gestured to Reever who then explained to them where they were to go.

Once the exorcists left Komui leaned back in his chair looking very satisfied with himself. "What was that?" Reever asked.

"A little something for their memory."

"To help their memory? Why?"

"I wouldn't say help exactly," Kumoi gave Reever a mischievous grin. "This time tomorrow they will have no recollection of the events of the past two days."

"Why is that a good thing!?"

Kumoi sat back, suddenly serious. "I needed them to get away from here. I don't want Allen to come back for a while, this was the only way I could think of to keep him away, getting them lost. It's for his protection."

Reever was about to ask waht exactly the boy needed protection from but decided against it, he had a pretty good guess who he wanted to keep Allen from.

O.o

Allen sat in silence, gazing out the train window. The excitement of being on his first mission had worn off and now he was growing tired from the long train ride. He began to nod of just as the train stopped. Standing up, Allen stretched and shuffled to the door.

Kanda was already on the platform, waiting impatiently. As soon as Allen reached him he began walking at a brisk pace. Allen stopped for a second, yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Wah!" He ran to catch up, embarrassed to have fallen behind within the first few minutes of his first mission.

They walked down the road for about half a mile before turning off and heading into the thick forest. The sun light danced on the ground, growing weaker as they walked further and further into the trees. Soon it was nearly impossible to see. "We'll make camp here," Kanda declared, stopping and dropping his pack on the ground. Allen did the same, sitting down with his legs crossed.

There was a loud noise nearby and Kanda tensed. It came again, a rumbling sound like thunder. "Sorry," Allen said. "That's just my stomach." Kanda gave an annoyed "tch" as Allen pulled some food out of his bag.

Kanda sat heavily on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll take the first watch." Allen rummaged through his bag, pulling out various food items and began to panic, searching more frantically. He gave up pawing through the bag and tipped it upside down, dumping out all of its contents. His face fell as he realised that the black king was not there. He knew it was silly to value something so insignificant so highly but he couldn't help it, it was the last piece of Suman he had left and now even that was gone. Slowly he placed his food back in his bag and laid down in defeat, using his blanket as a pillow.

He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the leaves. Pale moonlight sifted between them; where it fell Allen's hair glowed an unearthly white. It was quiet. Allen felt his mind relaxing, the events of the day fading away. The feeling was peaceful and Allen welcomed it, forgetting the world outside of the forest. His eyes closed as his mind drifted. Memories of the past became clearer, memories of a child hood forgotten.

The cool breeze and the sound of colliding leaves filled his ears. Allen sat at the base of a tree, looking down at the freshly dug grave. A clown stood over the grave, looking on with dry eyes. No, that wasn't right. He was sitting on a branch, leaning against the trunk of a tree. The wind blew through his hair. He was deep in thought and did not hear any one approaching until they spoke. The woman stood at the base of the tree, looking up at him. "What is the wind saying?"

The boy looked down. "What are you talking about," he asked the woman. No, not _a woman_, his mother.

"It looked like you we're talking to it," she replied.

The boy looked back out into the distance. He was worried about Mana. Something was troubling Allen. He didn't remember his mother and yet the only word he could associate with this woman was _mother_.

_That's because she isn't your mother, she's mine_.

Allen's brow furrowed in confusion. He had nearly been asleep before this new voice spoke to him. _You're mother?_

_That's right_.

_But who are you?  
_  
_I am the boy sitting in the tree in that memory, an old friend of yours_.

Allen thought back. He didn't know anyone he could consider a friend from his past. The earliest he could remember was growing up in the circus but he hadn't had any friends then.

_Further back than that_, the voice said.

_I don't remember anything further than that_.

_No? Well, it will come with time. I myself am not so certain of the past quite yet_.

Allen thought about that for a while, uncertain of what to make of this encounter. He thought perhaps his sanity was slipping but before he could draw any conclusions he slipped into sleep.

O.o

Kanda stared into the forest. All was quiet save the sounds of small animals. The darkness was peaceful. He looked down at the sleeping boy. His past was still a mystery and that bothered him. Normally Kanda wouldn't care but this was a different. He didn't trust this kid as far as he could spit.

The boy's soft face seemed to change, becoming more sinister. Kanda shivered, it must have been the lighting. He stood, unwilling to remain idle for too long.

The cool breeze felt good on his face as he circled the area. The smells and sounds filled his senses until it drove everything from his mind and nothing existed but his immediate surroundings. He leaned against a tree and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. A strange sense of euphoria was over coming him. He felt as though he should remain alert but could not remember why. It didn't matter anyways; he was tired and needed to rest. Without any further thought he lay down fell into an oddly blissful sleep.

O.o

Komui walked down the halls of the order perplexed. Another visitor? This time when he opened the door there was a cardinal standing on the door step. "To what do I owe this pleasure," Komui asked pleasantly.

"I was in the area and wondered if I might get accommodations for a few nights." The man adjusted his glasses, taking in the Chinese man in front of him.

"This is quite a way to go from any nearby civilization just for a place to stay."

"I don't have any money on me," the cardinal said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll have some one show you to a room. If you get hungry you can always ask our chef, Jerry to whip something up for you." Komui said as he led the man inside. "Tap Dopp!"

"Yes?" A large man with dark hair came hustling around the corner from the lab.

"Show this man to a room." Tap Dopp nodded and told the man to follow him, heading down the corridor.

Komui watched the man go, his light frizzy hair disappearing around the corner. What was with all of these unexpected appearances lately?

O.o

Sunlight danced on his eyelids, warming his face and neck. His eyelids fluttered open and he sat up. Looking around he saw that he was in a forest but how he had gotten there was beyond him. He stood and looked down. On the ground were various food items and wrappers, a back pack with more food in it, and a folded blanket. He stretched and rubbed the back of his head, Allen must be a one hungry kid, he thought.

Nea squatted down and placed the items in the bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he stood, he didn't know which direction to go so he picked a random direction and started walking. The only sounds were those of the leaves crunching beneath is feet. After a minute he stopped, alerted by the sounds of someone else's breathing. He stood, stalk still.

Some one leaped from behind a nearby tree, sword swinging down toward the white-haired boy. The sword stopped, mid arch as the man recognised the boy. "What are you doing here?"

The boy looked confused, apparently Allen knew this homicidal maniac. "I don't know. I just woke up here." Wow, his voice sounded so young. How old was he?

"That makes two of us; I' m going to go try to find a way out of here. Keep up if you can."

_No, I don't think I will_, he thought. He began to scale one of the taller trees near him. The bark was familiar under his hands, compelling him to climb faster until he reached the top. The wind blew against his face and he felt the sensation of freedom fill him, excitement coursing through his veins.

Trees stretched on into the horizon in all directions. It was going to take quite se time to get out of this forest. He sat down on a particularly thick branch and began to consider his options. A voice from below interrupted his thoughts.

"Oi! Moyashi, are you coming or not?" The man below looked impatient, glaring into the tree. The boy above huffed in annoyance. He thought the samurai had said he was going to leave. He jumped down, landing directly on front of Kanda. He reached up with one arm and bashed his head into the tree trunk with all the force he could muster. Caught off guard as Kanda was he offered no resistance and he instantly slumped to the ground.

The boy sighed and walked off in a direction of his choosing. This was going to take a long time, he thought, annoyed. He could just open a gate but then the Earl would know where he was and he wasn't ready for that yet, he needed to get stronger first. Nea walked on until the day turned to night and he could no longer see. He would have preferred to have been further along before he stopped but there was no helping it now. He sat down ant pulled out his blanket, unfolding it.

There was a light thud next to him as something fell from the folds of the blanket. He leaned down to pick it up. As soon as his fingers touched they recoiled and gripped his head. Allen's consciousness had suddenly become aware that he was not in control, that this was not a dream. He fought viciously for control as desperation seized him. He could not lose. Neah suppressed Allen just long enough to see what he had touched was a black king. He did not have time to question its presence as Allen renewed his attack. Neither could gain control over the body as the mind raged within.

O.o

Kanda came to as the sun was beginning its decent. That must have been a powerful blow if it had put him out for that long, he thought as he felt his head. He was completely healed but there was dried blood on in his hair and significant amounts of it on the trunk of a tree next to him. A wound like that would have killed any ordinary person. He needed to find that boy before he could do any more damage.

He found the path that the boy had taken and took off at a run. By the time he reached his target it was already dark. What he saw confused him. The boy was huddled on the ground, hands clutching his head, spasms passing through his body. Kanda placed his sword tip under Allen's chin and the boy stilled, his body slumping on the ground as though he was unconscious. Kanda gave him a hard wrap on the head with the flat of his sword to see if he was truly unconscious. The boy did not as much as flinch. Utterly confused Kanda leaned against a tree trunk, sword at the ready and waited for the boy to come to.

**To Be Continued**

**Dun DUn DUN!**


End file.
